NBCU Has "Solid Chunk" Of Inventory Remaining For Winter Games

NBC Universal "still has a solid chunk of inventory left to sell" for the Vancouver Olympics with "fewer than 90 days to go," according to Anthony Crupi of MEDIAWEEK. The ad marketplace "has begun showing signs of life in the past few weeks," but NBC "faces an uphill climb if it is to hit its volume target." Media agency estimates indicated that NBC "must move between [30-35%] of its 2010 Winter Games avails if it's to be wrapped by the time" the Games get underway on February 12, and media buyers suggested that NBC is "now much more flexible on pricing." Optimedia Exec VP and Dir of National Electronic Media Larry Novenstern: "NBC will be up on a price rollercoaster until they firm things up. There may be some good opportunities between now and then, and at this point, they're willing to listen to anything." One TV exec said that NBC has "become increasingly active in the past few weeks." The exec: "Speaking to general market conditions, auto's coming back, thanks to GM and Chrysler. Telco money's there because AT&T and Verizon are duking it out. I can't say whether this is going to hold up, but right now, if you're a major advertiser looking for big-time exposure in Q1, the Olympics is a hell of a buy." Meanwhile, Crupi notes while ratings guarantees for the Winter Games are "hashed out on a client-by-client basis," most observers believe that NBC "shouldn't have to worry about not hitting deliveries" (MEDIAWEEK, 11/16 issue).

GO WORLD: In Chicago, Lewis Lazare reports Visa is kicking off "Go World," a "major Olympic-themed campaign from TBWA/Chiat/Day with two television commercials that try hard to capture the inherent grandeur of the Games." The TV spots have "some concise, evocative writing, but ultimately, the debut 'Anthem' spot feels too overblown to be fully as effective as it could be." Lazare: "Visa and TBWA could have done much worse than this current iteration of 'Go World' for the 2010 Winter Olympics, but even so, this campaign gets no better than a bronze medal from us" (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 11/16).